A few days earlier scathing criticisms came from the renowned international medical journal The Lancet and the IMA that held the Union Health Ministry responsible for India’s Covid disaster. On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation in its ‘COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update’ minced no words in observing that religious and political events were among the factors that accelerated Covid transmission in India. On the same day, Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert while explaining the enormous health calamity India is facing categorically said that ‘Covid victory’ announcement has been a rather incorrect and premature assumption that triggered overall laxities and subsequently pushed the country to the zone of “dire straits”. But it was the joint letter dated May 12 addressed to the Prime Minister from the leaders of 12 major opposition parties including four CMs suggesting a slew of measures for battling the Covid pandemic that made headlines. The suggestions are nothing new since the signatories have been raising their voices for their immediate rollout for the last few months on behalf of their parties they represent. However, the weight in the ‘movement’ is heavier this time since it has been a united approach of the near-entire rank of the opposition. That Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and BSP Chief Mayawati are not the signatories hardly carry any importance and the reasons can best be explained by them. However, the issues are absolutely relevant and it will be nonsensical to sniff any ulterior political motive.
The measures suggested in the single-page letter are germane to the core and have touched the staggering infirmities the country is suffering from in the fight against Covid 2.0 which is gradually turning out to be a lost battle. Besides suggesting wider vaccine procurement and universal free vaccination for all citizens, the letter has underlined the need to channelize the funds now being utilized in Central Vista project into oxygen and vaccine purchase, aiding the jobless and repealing the new farm laws to protect the agitating farmers from the fast-spreading new strain. Besides urging the government to procure vaccines centrally from all available sources, global and domestic, the opposition has called for an immediate rollout of a free, universal mass vaccination campaign across the country, invoke compulsory licensing to expand domestic vaccine production and allocate Rs 35,000 crore for vaccines. It will be a futile attempt even for the most faithful supporter of the ruling dispensation to label the demands as unworthy to pursue.
So far, the voice of the opposition regarding Covid has been totally ignored and even the former PM Dr Manmohan Singh’s letter wasn’t acknowledged, let alone replied. It will be interesting to observe what happens this time.

---

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List